Carl Linnaeus is certainly the most famous Swedish naturalist. It was his life-time project to explore, structure and classify science in general and plants and animals in particular. His innovative and at the time controversial way of classifying plants based on their reproductive system was publish in the master piece Systema Naturae. Best known as a botanist, Linnaeus still made significant contributions in the fields of zoology and geology too, as well as being a physician and a talented writer. To his list of accomplishments we can also add the creation of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – the institution that every year selects several of the Nobel laureates.
Linnaeus him self did not do much travelling, but his seventeen apprentices travelled all across the world to collect plants, describe nature and continue the work of their master. To America and Canada came the disciple Peter (Pehr) Kalm, he stayed here several years and wrote in his diary about his findings as well as his reflexion of the people he met. Peter Kalm’s diaries were later published as the book Travels Into North America – a work considered to be one of the greater documentations of North American life in the mid 1700-hundreds.
Based on the concepts of Creativity - Curiosity – Science there are two objectives of the Linnaeus Tercentenary. The first is to increase interest for science among children and young people and the second is to present an image of Carl Linnaeus for the general public. The Tercentenary will offer several exciting events, popular scientific seminars, scientific conferences and exhibitions.
As part of the celebrations a creative website for those curious about natural science has been launched. Visit www.linnaeus300.com to get frontline science answers to the big questions about the mystery of life. A great tool for us in shcools or at university, and something that will inspire anybody that is science curious.
On the official webpage of the Linnaeus celebrations you can read more about the festivities all around the world www.linnaeus2007.se and the Embassy website will be regularly updated with events across Canada.